Electronic catheter stethoscope

ABSTRACT

An electronic catheter stethoscope measures and analyzes acoustic fields and dynamic pressure variations in the gaseous or liquid fluid inside a conventional medical catheter that is positioned in a patient&#39;s urologic, digestive, reproductive, cardiovascular, neurological or pulmonary system. Measurement transducers are installed in a housing connectable to multiple preselected medical catheters. The transducers detect bodily functions that are transmitted to the preselected catheter from within the body. The transducers, housing, electrical interface and signal processing electronics are positioned outside the body.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. Nonprovisional patentapplication Ser. No. 15/362,001, entitled “Electronic CatheterStethoscope”, filed Nov. 28, 2016, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,782,145, which isa continuation of U.S. Nonprovisional patent application Ser. No.13/621,566, entitled “Electronic Catheter Stethoscope”, filed Sep. 17,2012, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,504,440, which is a continuation ofInternational Patent Application No. PCT/US2011/028519, entitled“Electronic Catheter Stethoscope”, filed Mar. 15, 2011, which claimspriority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/313,921, entitled“Electronic Catheter Stethoscope”, filed Mar. 15, 2010, all of which areincorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to medical devices. More particularly, it relatesto a device that monitors, measures and analyzes a variety of bodilyfunctions.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Fetal heart tones and labor contractions are measured using sensors orinstruments that are placed externally on the mother's body. This methodis illustrated in prior art FIG. 1.

U.S. Patent Application Publication Nos. 2009/0259133A1 and2009/0192396A1 disclose the positioning of electrocardiogram (ECG)electrodes on the mother's abdomen to detect the fetal heart tone.Systems of this type rely on the detection of electrical impulses thatoriginate from the heart muscles of the mother, the fetus, or both,myoelectric sensors capable of detecting muscle contractions, or Dopplerultrasound to detect heart movement.

There are a number of disadvantages to placing external monitors on themother's body to monitor the fetal heart rate and intrauterinecontractions as follows:

The fetal heart rate sensor performance can be compromised by:

-   -   Poor placement of sensors on mother's abdomen    -   Excessive amniotic fluid    -   Obese mother    -   Small or multiple babies    -   Movement of the baby out from under the sensor or sensors    -   Detection of mother's pulse instead of baby's pulse    -   The sensors are prone to falling off or moving, so the mother        must remain still

The contraction sensor performance is compromised because it:

-   -   Can only detect frequency and duration of contractions    -   Cannot provide direct measurement of intrauterine pressure        intensity    -   Cannot provide comparative measurements of a series of        contractions

Fetal heart tones and labor contractions are also measured using sensorsor instruments that are positioned in the mother's uterus and on thebaby's head. This method is illustrated in FIG. 2.

There are a number of disadvantages to using an internal monitorinstalled within the mother's uterus or on the baby as follows:

-   -   The cervix must be dilated prior to placement of the monitors    -   Membranes must be ruptured to place monitor which commits        mother/baby to    -   delivery    -   Increased risk of infection to the baby    -   Increased risk of bruising of the baby's scalp    -   Possible uterine perforation/rupture    -   Potential for placental separation

U.S. Pat. No. 6,434,418 discloses an instrumented catheter inserted intothe bladder or rectum including a catheter balloon instrumented withpressure or myoelectric sensors to measure intrauterine pressure ordetect contractions and a catheter tip instrumented with microphone,electrode or Doppler ultrasound probe to measure fetal heart rate. Thismethod requires placement of electronic instrumentation within the body,it requires high-cost manufacturing of catheters having electronicinstruments within them, it requires additional and non-standardprocedures and personnel for placement of the catheter, and it requiresthat the entire catheter system be sterilized for re-use.

There are no known commercial products or technologies thatnon-invasively detect physiologic bladder changes during surgicalprocedures or provide direct measurement of acoustic fields and pressurevariations within the bladder that could suggest bladder or ureteralinjury.

Conventional blood pressure monitoring devices provide only pressuretime histories of blood flow and do not measure to a sufficiently highfrequency range acoustic or pressure variations that can be used todetect cardiovascular anomalies. Patent applications such as U.S. PatentApplication Publication No. 2010/00030095 disclose acoustic monitors andelectronic stethoscopes to detect cardiovascular anomalies. However, theknown devices do not provide direct measurement of acoustic fields anddynamic pressure variations of the blood within the blood vessels.

The known commercial products or technologies that enable directmeasurement of acoustic fields and dynamic pressure variations due torespiration and blood flow within the lungs require the installation ofmeasurement transducers within the lungs.

The prior art devices that enable direct measurement of acoustic fieldsand dynamic pressure variations due to digestion and blood flow withinthe stomach or upper digestive tract require the installation ofmeasurement transducers within the stomach or upper digestive tract.

Commercial products or technologies that enable direct measurement ofacoustic fields and dynamic pressure variations due to digestion andblood flow within the colon require the installation of measurementtransducers within the colon.

What is needed, then, is a medical device that enables directmeasurement of acoustic fields and dynamic pressure variations withinsuch body parts without requiring that transducers by positioned withinsaid body parts.

However, in view of the art considered as a whole at the time thepresent invention was made, it was not obvious to those of ordinaryskill in the art that a medical device that enables direct measurementof acoustic fields and dynamic pressure variations within body partswithout requiring transducers positioned within said body parts wasneeded nor was it obvious how such a device could be provided.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention includes an electronic catheter stethoscope thatenables the measurement and analysis of acoustic fields and dynamicpressure variations in the gaseous or liquid fluids inside a standardmedical catheter that may be installed in a patient's urologic,digestive, reproductive, cardiovascular, neurological or pulmonarysystem to monitor a patient's heart beat, fetal heart beat, breathing,labor contractions, ureteral flow and physiology of the bladder,digestive, urologic, pulmonary, cardiovascular and neurologic systems.

Measurement transducers are installed in a housing that is connectableto preselected conventional medical lines or catheters, such as urinary(foley), intravenous, arterial, cardiac or pulmonary catheters. Thetransducers detect a variety of bodily functions that may be transmittedto the catheters from within the body, such as patient heart beat, fetalheart beat, breathing, blood flow, labor contractions, ureteral flow andphysiology of the bladder and other acoustic fields and dynamic pressurevariations associated with the digestive, urologic, pulmonary,cardiovascular and neurologic systems.

The transducers, housing, electrical interface and signal processingelectronics are positioned outside the body together with a variety ofcommercially available sterilized catheters that are inserted into thebody. This facilitates use, improves patient safety, reduces theprobability of infection, and eliminates the need for special proceduresor personnel to install such off-the-shelf devices inside the body.

The transducer signals are stored by a data acquisition device forsubsequent processing, analysis or display, or the signals may beprocessed, analyzed and displayed immediately to provide real timephysiological monitoring.

More particularly, the novel method for measurement and analysis ofbodily functions includes the steps of connecting a housing to theproximal end of a preselected medical catheter, inserting a distal endof the preselected medical catheter into a patient's body whilemaintaining the proximal end and the housing outside the patient's body,positioning at least one transducer within the housing so that said atleast one transducer is in fluid communication with gaseous or liquidfluids in the patient's body, monitoring acoustic fields and pressurevariations of liquid or gaseous fluids within the preselected medicalcatheter due to a variety of bodily functions, including patient heartbeat, fetal heart beat, breathing, labor contractions, ureteral flow andphysiology of the bladder, digestive, urologic, pulmonary,cardiovascular and neurologic systems, providing a data acquisitionsystem for conditioning, amplifying and converting analog measurementsignals generated by said at least one transducer to digital signals,positioning said data acquisition system externally of the housing, andproviding electrical communication between said at least one transducerand said data acquisition system.

Further novel steps include mounting a Luer-type connector on a distalend of the housing, opening a valve mounted on the proximal end of thepreselected catheter by employing the Luer-type connector to connect thehousing to the proximal end of the preselected medical catheter,mounting a purge/fill valve on the housing so that gaseous or liquidfluids may be introduced into or purged from the housing, filling orpurging the housing and preselected medical catheter with gaseous orliquid fluid when the valve mounted on the proximal end of thepreselected catheter is opened by the Luer-type connector, and selectingsaid preselected medical catheter from a group of medical cathetersincluding urinary (foley) catheters, intravenous catheters, arterialcatheters, cardiac catheters, pulmonary catheters, bronchial catheters,esophageal catheters, and colon catheters.

In addition to post-attachment filling, the invention also includes thesteps of filling the catheter without the device attached, followed byattaching the device so that the Luer-type connector provides fluidcommunication with the transducers.

Moreover, the invention also includes the “open-channel” case in which aLuer-type connector rather than a Luer-actuated valve is mounted on theproximal end of the catheter. The device is then attached with aLuer-activated valve on its proximal end and used for filling.

The novel method further includes the steps of providing said at leastone transducer in the form of at least one acoustic transducer or atleast one pressure transducer, or both selecting as said preselectedmedical catheter a urinary catheter having a balloon formed integrallytherewith, connecting the housing to a proximal end of the urinarycatheter, positioning a distal end of the urinary catheter within thebladder of a patient, and directly measuring acoustic fields and dynamicpressure variations in the gaseous or liquid fluid that fills theballoon with said at least one acoustic transducer and a least onepressure transducer.

The novel method also includes the steps of providing said at least onetransducer in the form of at least one acoustic transducer or at leastone pressure transducer, or both, selecting as said preselected medicalcatheter an intravenous catheter or arterial line, and monitoring andmeasuring fetal heart rates, fetal heart tones and a mother's heart ratewith said at least one acoustic and pressure measurement transducers.

Further method steps include providing said at least one transducer inthe form of at least one acoustic transducer or at least one pressuretransducer, or both, selecting a urinary catheter as the preselectedmedical catheter, placing the drainage tube of the urinary catheterwithin the bladder of a patient, directly measuring acoustic fields anddynamic pressure variations in the bladder by connecting the housing toa proximal end of the drainage tube, and detecting ureteral flow anddamage to the bladder wall which may occur during surgery with said atleast one acoustic transducer and said at least one pressure transducer.

Additional method steps include providing said at least one transducerin the form of at least one acoustic transducer or at least one pressuretransducer, or both, measuring acoustic fields and dynamic pressurevariations in the cardiovascular system due to beating of the heart,vascular disease or other anomalies that can be detected through changesin blood flow by connecting the housing to the venous or arterial entryport of a peripherally inserted catheter, central catheter, orsubcutaneous implantable port or manifold used in medical procedures.

Still further novels steps include providing said at least onetransducer in the form of at least one acoustic transducer or at leastone pressure transducer, or both, selecting a bronchial catheter as saidpreselected medical catheter, inserting a distal end of said bronchialcatheter into a bronchial tube of a patient or any branches of saidbronchial tube, and measuring acoustic fields and dynamic pressurevariations in the lungs during breathing by connecting said housing to aproximal end of said bronchial catheter.

Another novel method includes the steps of providing said at least onetransducer in the form of at least one acoustic transducer or at leastone pressure transducer, or both, selecting a esophageal catheter assaid preselected medical catheter, inserting a distal end of saidesophageal/gastric catheter into the esophagus tube of a patient, andmeasuring acoustic fields, dynamic pressure variations and contractionsin the stomach or upper digestive tract due to digestion by connectingthe housing to the proximal end of said esophageal/gastric catheter.

Yet another novel method includes the steps of providing said at leastone transducer in the form of at least one acoustic transducer or atleast one pressure transducer, or both, selecting a colon catheter assaid preselected medical catheter, inserting a distal end of said coloncatheter into the colon of a patient, and measuring acoustic fields,dynamic pressure variations and contractions in the colon due todigestion by connecting said housing to the proximal end of said coloncatheter.

All of the novel method steps include the step of providing saidelectrical communication through a wired or wireless transmission oftransducer signals to said data acquisition system.

The novel method may also include the step of mounting a membrane withinthe housing to shield said at least one transducer from bodily fluidswhile allowing passage of acoustic and pressure variations anddisturbances in the blood flow.

A data analysis system may also be provided and connected to said dataacquisition system for processing digital measurement signals and forremoving and isolating extraneous noises. The digital measurementsignals are processed by said data acquisition system to monitor andanalyze a variety of bodily functions, including patient heart beat,fetal heart beat, breathing, labor contractions, ureteral flow andphysiology of the bladder, digestive, urologic, pulmonary,cardiovascular and neurologic systems. Raw or processed measurementsignal data may be stored in a digital memory device and said stored rawor processed measurement signal data may be displayed in a graphicaldisplay.

The data acquisition system may be provided in the form of a hand-heldcomputational device. Moreover, the housing may be covered with soundabsorbing materials to shield it from ambient noise. Ambient noise maybe actively cancelled by employing at least one external microphone incombination with said at least one transducer. Extraneous body noises orpressure fluctuations may be actively cancelled by positioning at leastone acoustic or at least one pressure measurement transducer externallyon a patient's body in combination with said at least one transducer.

The housing and said at least one transducer may be sterilized forsubsequent use. The housing and said at least one transducer may also beprovided in disposable form and said at least one transducer may beprovided in the form of a Doppler ultrasound transceiver. The housingmay also be unsterilized but connected with a disposable sterilizedconnector and covered with a sterile, protective sheath.

An important object of this invention is to monitor a plurality ofbodily functions during labor or surgical procedures without requiringthe introduction of monitoring devices into the body of a patient.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a more complete understanding of the invention, reference should bemade to the following detailed description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagram of a prior art external fetal monitor and itsplacement in monitoring a fetus;

FIG. 2 is a diagram of a prior art internal fetal monitor and itsplacement in monitoring a fetus;

FIG. 3 is a diagram of an electronic catheter stethoscope;

FIG. 4 is a diagram of the electronic catheter stethoscope used for aurinary (foley) catheter application; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an electronic catheter stethoscope usedfor urinary (foley) catheter applications.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The novel electronic catheter stethoscope is illustrated in FIG. 3.Housing 1, made from medical-grade plastic or metal or similar material,contains transducers 2. These transducers may include at least oneacoustic measurement device such as a microphone or at least onepressure measurement device, or both, that operate in gaseous or liquidfluid.

Housing 1, transducers 2, electrical interface 7 and signal processingelectronics 8 of this invention are used outside the body together witha variety of commercially-available off-the-shelf sterilized cathetersthat are inserted into the body. This facilitates use, improves patientsafety, reduces the probability of infection, and eliminates the needfor special procedures or personnel to install such devices inside thebody.

The transducer signals may be stored by data acquisition device 8 forsubsequent processing, analysis or display, or they may be processed,analyzed and displayed immediately to provide real-time physiologicalmonitoring.

Housing 1 incorporates a standard medical Luer-type connector 3 thatenables its connection to a variety of preselected tubes, valves andmanifolds used in a variety of standard medical catheters or lines 5,such as urinary (foley), intravenous, arterial, bronchial/pulmonary,esophageal and colon catheters.

Luer-type connector 3 contains the gaseous fluid within the cathetersystem and also enables the opening of valve 4 that is installed inconventional medical catheter 5. Connector 3 enables a direct connectionbetween transducers 2 and the liquids/gases or bodily fluids, or both,within catheter tube 5. Fill/Purge valve 6 enables filling and purgingof gaseous or liquid fluids into and from housing 1, respectively.

Transducers 2 have sufficient dynamic range, frequency response andsensitivity to measure acoustic fields and dynamic pressure variationsin the gaseous or liquid fluids inside catheter tube 5 that are presentdue to a variety of bodily functions, including patient heart beat,fetal heart beat, breathing, labor contractions, ureteral flow andphysiology of the bladder, and other acoustic fields and dynamicpressure variations associated with the digestive, urologic, pulmonary,cardiovascular and neurologic systems.

Transducers 2 are connected through electronic interface 7 to dataacquisition system 8 that acquires, analyzes, stores and displays thetransducer data.

The novel method for monitoring labor and delivery includes the step ofinstalling the novel electronic catheter stethoscope onto the external(proximal) end of a conventional urinary (foley) catheter, the distalend of which is placed within the mother's bladder, rectum or uterusduring labor (FIGS. 4 & 5) for purposes of monitoring the fetal hearttones and mother's labor contractions. Due to the close anatomicrelationship of the bladder, rectum or uterus to the fetus, informationobtained from within these organs provide a more accurate way to measureuterine contractions and fetal heart tones.

The novel device is installed on the catheter balloon fill line so thatcatheter balloon 9 is in intimate contact with the mother's bladder.Catheter balloon 9 responds to sound and vibration from within thebladder due to the fetal heart beat, mother's heart beat andintrauterine contractions. Balloon 9 transmits this sound and vibrationto the liquid or gaseous fluid that fills it, and through catheter tube5 having tip 5 a to the transducer or transducers 2. The transducermeasurement device or devices 2 sense acoustic fields and dynamicpressure variations within the gaseous or liquid fluid, and convert saidvariations into corresponding varying electrical signals that areanalyzed in data acquisition device 8.

Advantages of the invention compared to the prior art for labor anddelivery monitors include the following:

-   -   The monitoring system is external to the body. There is        therefore less risk of infection or injury to the patient or        baby as compared to internal monitors, and replacement of the        device can easily be accomplished if malfunction occurs.    -   Use of the device does not alter normal medical protocols or        interfere with standard procedures.    -   The device allows the monitoring of intrauterine contractions        and fetal heart tones with a single instrument instead of two        separate monitoring systems.    -   The device is less susceptible than external monitors to        mother's and baby's movement, excessive amniotic fluid and the        mother's obesity. This enables continued monitoring of the fetal        heart rate and intrauterine contractions on a wide range of        medical conditions and does not require immobilization of the        mother during usage.    -   The device detects strength of contractions as well as        contraction frequency and duration.    -   The device does not commit the mother into labor and therefore        can be used to monitor the baby internally at any time.

The novel method for monitoring bladder physiology includes the step ofmonitoring and detecting ureteral flow, urinary injury and abnormalitiesof bladder physiology during pelvic and urological surgery by means ofthe electronic catheter stethoscope. The electronic catheter stethoscopeis connected to the valve that is used to fill the catheter balloon oron the catheter drainage line.

The electronic catheter stethoscope may also be connected to a catheterballoon fill valve. The catheter balloon is then positioned for intimatecontact with the patient's bladder. Transducer measurement device ordevices 2 sense acoustic fields and dynamic pressure variations withinthe gaseous or liquid fluid that is used to fill the catheter balloon,as the balloon responds to and transmits sound and vibration from withinthe bladder due to urine flow from the ureters and potential damage tothe bladder wall which may occur during surgery.

If the electronic catheter stethoscope is connected to the catheterdrainage line, transducers 2 directly sense potential damage to theureters or bladder which may occur during surgery. In this case, thetransducers sense a large increase in the acoustic levels from withinthe bladder due to damage of the bladder or ureter walls.

The novel method for cardiovascular monitoring includes connection ofthe electronic catheter stethoscope to an intravenous catheter orarterial line to monitor dynamic blood pressure and to measure andanalyze heart tones, vascular changes, or both for the detection ofheart valve anomalies, heart murmurs, valvular leaks, or vascularchanges suggestive of cardiovascular disease or tumors.

The electronic catheter stethoscope is connected to the venous orarterial entry port of a peripherally inserted catheter, centralcatheter, or subcutaneous implantable port or manifold used in medicalprocedures in order to measure acoustic fields and dynamic pressurevariations in the cardiovascular system due to beating of the heart,vascular disease or other anomalies that can be detected through changesin blood flow.

The novel method for bronchial monitoring includes the step ofconnecting the electronic catheter stethoscope to a bronchial orpulmonary catheter to monitor and analyze acoustic fields and dynamicpressure variations associated with respiration and blood flow withinthe pulmonary system.

The novel method for esophageal/gastric monitoring includes the step ofconnecting the electronic catheter stethoscope to an esophageal orgastric catheter or tube to monitor and analyze acoustic fields anddynamic pressure variations in the stomach or upper digestive tract dueto digestion.

The novel method for colon monitoring includes the step of connectingthe electronic catheter stethoscope to a colon catheter to monitor andanalyze acoustic fields and dynamic pressure variations in the colon dueto digestion.

It will be seen that the advantages set forth above, and those madeapparent from the foregoing description, are efficiently attained andsince certain changes may be made in the above construction and methodsteps without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intendedthat all matters contained in the foregoing description or shown in theaccompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in alimiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended tocover all of the generic and specific features of the invention hereindescribed, and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as amatter of language, might be said to fall there between.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for measurement and analysis of bodilyfunctions using an electronic catheter stethoscope configured to connectto a plurality of types of catheters, comprising the steps of:connecting a housing of said electronic catheter stethoscope to aproximal end of a medical catheter selected from said plurality of typesof catheters; inserting a distal end of said medical catheter into apatient's body while maintaining said proximal end and said housingoutside the patient's body, wherein an interior of said medical catheteris in fluid communication with bodily fluids in said patient's body;said housing enclosing at least one transducer therewithin so that saidat least one transducer is in communication with said interior of saidmedical catheter of said medical catheter and thus also in fluidcommunication with said bodily fluids in said patient's body, said atleast one transducer sensing an acoustic field, a pressure, or acombination thereof of gaseous or liquid fluids within said medicalcatheter; purging said gaseous or liquid fluids from said medicalcatheter from said housing through said valve; monitoring acousticfields and pressure variations of said gaseous or liquid fluids withinsaid medical catheter due to said bodily functions affecting said bodilyfluids within said patient, wherein said gaseous or liquid fluids withinsaid medical catheter are affected by changes in said bodily fluidswithin said patient's body and wherein said gaseous or liquid fluidswithin said medical catheter may include said bodily fluids as welldepending on the bodily function being measured and analyzed; providinga data acquisition system for conditioning, amplifying and convertinganalog measurement signals generated by said at least one transducer todigital signals; positioning said data acquisition system externally ofsaid housing; and providing electrical communication between said atleast one transducer and said data acquisition system and said at leastone transducer.
 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the stepof: mounting a Luer-type connector on a distal end of said housing;opening an additional valve mounted on said proximal end of saidcatheter by employing said Luer-type connector to connect said housingto said proximal end of said medical catheter; and filling or purgingsaid housing and medical catheter with said gaseous or liquid fluidswhen said additional valve mounted on said proximal end of said catheteris opened by said Luer-type connector.
 3. The method of claim 1, whereinsaid valve is a fill/purge valve, the method further comprisingintroducing said gaseous or liquid fluids from said medical catheterinto said housing through said purge/fill valve.
 4. The method of claim1, further comprising the step of: mounting a membrane within saidhousing to shield said at least one transducer from said gaseous orliquid fluids within said medical catheter while allowing passage ofacoustic and pressure variations and disturbances in the blood flow. 5.The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of: covering saidhousing with sound absorbing materials to shield said housing fromambient noise.
 6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:actively cancelling ambient noise by employing at least one externalmicrophone in combination with said at least one transducer; andactively cancelling extraneous body noises or pressure fluctuations byemploying at least one acoustic or at least one pressure measurementtransducer positioned externally on a patient's body in combination withsaid at least one transducer.
 7. A method for measurement and analysisof bodily functions using an electronic catheter stethoscope configuredto connect to a plurality of types of catheters, comprising the stepsof: connecting a housing of said electronic catheter stethoscope to aproximal end of a medical catheter selected from said plurality of typesof catheters; inserting a distal end of said medical catheter into apatient's body while maintaining said proximal end and said housingoutside the patient's body, wherein an interior of said medical catheteris in fluid communication with bodily fluids in said patient's body;said housing enclosing a first transducer and a second transducertherewithin so that said first and second transducers are incommunication with said interior of said medical catheter and thusjointly in fluid communication with said bodily fluids in said patient'sbody; monitoring acoustic fields and pressure variations of said gaseousor liquid fluids within the medical catheter due to said bodilyfunctions affecting said bodily fluids within said patient, wherein saidgaseous or liquid fluids within said catheter are affected by changes insaid bodily fluids within said patient's body and wherein said gaseousor liquid fluids within said catheter may include said bodily fluids aswell depending on the bodily function being measured and analyzed;providing a data acquisition system for conditioning, amplifying andconverting analog measurement signals generated by said at least onetransducer to digital signals; and providing electrical communicationbetween said data acquisition system and said first and secondtransducers.
 8. The method of claim 7, wherein said first transducersensing an acoustic field of gaseous or liquid fluids within saidcatheter, said second transducer sensing pressure of said gaseous orliquid fluids within said catheter.
 9. The method of claim 7, furthercomprising the step of: mounting a Luer-type connector on a distal endof said housing; opening a valve mounted on said proximal end of saidcatheter by employing said Luer-type connector to connect said housingto said proximal end of said medical catheter.
 10. The method of claim7, further comprising the steps of: mounting a purge/fill valve on saidhousing so that said gaseous or liquid fluids from said medical cathetermay be introduced into or purged from said housing.
 11. The method ofclaim 7, further comprising the step of: mounting a membrane within saidhousing to shield said first and second transducers from said gaseous orliquid fluids within said medical catheter while allowing passage ofacoustic and pressure variations and disturbances in the blood flow. 12.The method of claim 7, further comprising the steps of: providing a dataanalysis system; connecting said data analysis system to said dataacquisition system for processing digital measurement signals and forremoving and isolating extraneous noises; and processing said digitalmeasurement signals with said data acquisition system to monitor andanalyze said bodily functions.
 13. The method of claim 7, furthercomprising the step of: covering said housing with sound absorbingmaterials to shield it from ambient noise.
 14. The method of claim 7,further comprising the step of: actively cancelling ambient noise byemploying at least one external microphone in combination with saidfirst and second transducers; and actively cancelling extraneous bodynoises or pressure fluctuations by employing at least one acoustic or atleast one pressure measurement transducer positioned externally on apatient's body in combination with said first transducer or said secondtransducer.
 15. An electronic catheter stethoscope configured to connectto a plurality of types of catheters for measurement and analysis ofbodily functions, comprising: a housing connected to a proximal end of amedical catheter selected from said plurality of types of catheters,wherein a distal end of said medical catheter is inserted into apatient's body while maintaining said proximal end and said housingoutside the patient's body, wherein an interior of said medical catheteris in fluid communication with bodily fluids in said patient's body; afirst transducer enclosed within said housing; a second transducerenclosed within said housing, wherein said first and second transducersare in communication with said interior of said medical catheter andthus jointly in fluid communication with said bodily fluids in saidpatient's body; wherein said first and second transducers monitoracoustic fields and pressure variations of said gaseous or liquid fluidswithin the medical catheter, wherein said first transducer senses anacoustic field of gaseous or liquid fluids within said catheter and saidsecond transducer senses pressure of said gaseous or liquid fluidswithin said catheter, wherein said gaseous or liquid fluids within saidcatheter are affected by changes in said bodily fluids within saidpatient's body and wherein said gaseous or liquid fluids within saidcatheter may include said bodily fluids as well depending on the bodilyfunction being measured and analyzed; and a data acquisition system inelectrical communication with said first and second transducers forconditioning, amplifying, and converting analog measurement signalsgenerated by first and second transducers to digital signals.
 16. Theelectronic catheter stethoscope of claim 15, further comprising: aLuer-type connector mounted on a distal end of said housing; a valvemounted on said proximal end of said catheter, wherein said valve isopened by employing said Luer-type connector to connect said housing tosaid proximal end of said medical catheter.
 17. The electronic catheterstethoscope of claim 15, further comprising: a purge/fill valve mountedon said housing so that said gaseous or liquid fluids from said medicalcatheter may be introduced into or purged from said housing through saidpurge/fill valve.
 18. The electronic catheter stethoscope of claim 15,further comprising: a membrane mounted within said housing to shieldsaid first and second transducers from said gaseous or liquid fluidswithin said medical catheter while allowing passage of acoustic andpressure variations and disturbances in the blood flow.
 19. Theelectronic catheter stethoscope of claim 15, further comprising: soundabsorbing materials covering said housing to shield it from ambientnoise.
 20. The electronic catheter stethoscope of claim 15, furthercomprising: at least one external microphone in combination with saidfirst and second transducers to actively cancel ambient noise; and atleast one acoustic measurement transducer or at least one pressuremeasurement transducer positioned externally on said patient's body foractively cancelling extraneous body noises or pressure fluctuations incombination with said first transducer or said second transducer.